Should A-Rod Stay in New York?

The answer, simply is no. If Alex Rodriguez wants to take the risk of failing in New York next season, then its his decision. This season has been his best in Pinstripes since he joined the Bronx Bombers. However, this could simply be something rare for A-Rod on the Yankees. This could simply be a good break for Alex and if he goes another five years for the Yankees, it's not guaranteed he will produce these kinds of numbers every one of those years because he's on the Yankees and being in the New York spotlight is a very hard thing to overcome. The fact that he put up those kinds of first half numbers (30 homers and 80 plus RBI) tells the Yankees that he can play up to full potential. It doesn't tell them that he will play like that in the first half of every season forward for the Yankees.

Now, if Alex decides to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, I believe he will be doing a whole lot of good for himself. He will open up a huge window of opportunity for himself because there is no team that has the media market and the pressure that comes with the contract as the New York Yankees. No team has that besides the Yankees. I don't even think the Mets are that close to putting the kind of pressure on players as the Yankees are simply because of how talented and storied the Yankees franchise is. Rodriguez seems much better off on a team like the Giants, a team with the money to spend. The Giants have a payroll of about 90 million dollars. They pay three players ten million dollars or more each year. That's not a lot. Plus, they have alot of young kids on the team that I believe A-Rod will enjoy. Plus, all the Giants need is a guy like Rodriguez to turn into a possible playoff team.

Another team that could easily compete for A-Rod at the end of the season is the Anaheim Angels who are undergoing a huge youth movement that greatly compares them to the 2005 Chicago White Sox. They have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and they still have one of the greatest sluggers in the game in Vladimir Guerrero (14 hr 75 rbi .325 avg). What a team the Angels would be if they had A-Rod and Vlad. They're already being considered as a World Series favorite and adding A-Rod next season will do wonders for their club. However, LA has the fourth highest payroll in MLB.

The Chicago Cubs also seem to be somewhat of a perfect fit for Alex Rodriguez if he decides to leave the Yankees at the end of the 2007 season. The Cubs have a payroll of just under 100 million dollars but still have the money to spend. They already have a powerhouse offense that includes Alfonso Soriano (last offseason's biggest free agent target), and possible Cy Young candidate Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs, however will have a new owner sometime in the near future so the possibilities are endless as to how much money the Cubs will be willing to offer.

Okay, so you pretty much know my opinion on the A-Rod situation. The problem is, the Yankees don't really have anybody else and if they can't get A-Rod a contract to come back next season, the Yankees could enter a dark age as they did in the 1980s. Guys like Bobby Abreu and Jorge Posada won't be around forever. Plus, Abreu has not had a good year so far (six homers and 44 rbi with a .270 avg). The Yankees, basically need A-Rod to come back next season to have a chance at making the playoffs. Derek Jeter is the only guy that I can think of that can make an A-Rod like difference on this ball club. So the Yankees are probably going to offer Alex as much as it takes to re-sign him. And can you blame them? This is a team that probably doesn't have anyone else if Rodriguez leaves.

According to recent news, A-Rod has decided to wait until the end of the season to talk about contract negotiations with New York:

"I think it would be selfish on my part to talk about my contract status when our team desperately needs wins," Rodriguez said on Thursday. "My goal is to win as many games as we can, focus on my teammates and really play at a real high level in the second half."

Coming from a man who started to not think about anything else but playing baseball this season, he seems very confident that the Yankees will come out of their shell in the second half and make a run at the division.

Yeah, fat chance.